What was once a blog about adopting a baby girl has morphed into a journal on the perils of single parenthood, the surprises of raising a spunky toddler, and the absolute joys of becoming a family. Forever.

Lilypie Kids Birthday tickers

Monday, September 29, 2008

We are doing good. Nothing exciting to report. I survived my few days away from Mari and actually was able to enjoy them. I think my mom had a good time with Mari, I KNOW Mari had a good time with my mom. While Mari was super clingy after I got home on Friday, I was relieved that she was happy to see me.

On to some photos and videos. If you stick this one out to the end (all of the two minutes...I kept it short), you will be rewarded with a hilarious outtake from a day in the life of Miss Mari. Yes, the toilet training is going well...sometimes she is just a little too quick leaving the bathroom.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Happy 18 months!! Little Miss Mari turned 18 months old today. Next week, we will have been together for 9 months...half her life. Wow! She has done so much growing and changing. And developing that personality...she is a little spit-fire.

And I am not with her today. I left last night for a training class a couple hours away and won't be home until Friday. My mom is staying with Mari and I'm sure that they are having a great time together. I'm doing something called "me" time. This is the first time Mari and I have been apart since we came home. Some tell me that I'm long overdue for "me" time. After 8 solid years of "me" time, I am not in any hurry to get back to that lonely world. But I'm trying to relax and make the best of my trip. I'm staying in a nice hotel (on the company's dime) with free wifi, microwave and fridge in my room, huge comfy bed (I get to sleep in until 7:30!!!), and a swimming pool. I had Outback for dinner, took a swim, took a hot bath, will soon watch Project Runway and eat some popcorn. A little mini-vacation. The best part is the class is in my hotel meeting room so I don't even have to travel for class. Ahhh!

Then Friday, home to my baby...I mean little girl. She's not a baby anymore. So sad!

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Melkem Adis Amet! Happy New Year! It is now the year 2001 in Ethiopia.

On New Year's Day (for the US), I was flying over the Atlantic Ocean, Europe, and the northern deserts of Africa on my way to start a new year, a new life, a new adventure. We've come a LONG way in the last few months.

Hopefully in the years to come, we will celebrate many new years together--who cares whether it will be in January or September!

Friday, September 5, 2008

First, as I eluded to in my last very brief post, I have a new niece. Her name is Abigail Kate and she was born Sept 4 at 12:21 pm. This is the first kid for my oldest brother Todd and his wife Diana. My two brothers and I have gone 3 for 3 with the girls (I cheated genetics a little on mine!)...guess it’s time to work on some boys now! See slide show below for pix.

Mari...where to start? She has turned into quite the Dr. Jeckyl/Mr. Hyde lately. One day she is all-out Miss Crabby-pants and the next day she is so silly. She is communicating more and more with both words and signs. She can sign more, please, eat, mommy, dog, milk, stop or help (similar signs and not sure which). She puts more and please together a lot! She is also pairing up the sign for please with actually saying it and she is learning to say thank you (with prompting). She knows quite a few animals, either the name of them or the sound: doggie woof woofs, kit-kat eows, duck kak kaks, baa (for sheep), ooo ooo (for owl), moo (for cow - duh!), she kind of grunts for goat, she bounces for frog (cause I always bounce when I say ribbit), but I absolutely can NOT get her to say neigh for horse–she just looks at me.

But the big news.........she is potty-training herself. I was casually thinking of starting this fall but not really looking forward to it. She took matters into her own hands. I bought a potty chair months ago because she kept pooping in the tub and I wanted something handy for the first sign of poopy face. Then she stopped pooping in the tub so I just put it in the corner of the bathroom. So she has been playing with the potty chair lately lifting the lid up and down. I always strip Mari down before her bath and let her run around naked while the tub fills up but a couple times this week, she peed all over the carpet (and not just a little bit–like she was saving up). So Wednesday night, I stripped her down and sat her on the potty chair, turned around and started the water and turned back...I heard this little musical ditty and thought "NO WAY!" Oh yes way! She peed in the potty! I thought it was beginner’s luck, the whole "novelty" angle, whatever. So we went Thursday to see little Abigail and I changed Mari’s diaper before leaving the hospital at 7pm. I made sure to get to her as soon as she woke up this morning...she was DRY (11 hours and she was dry...how in the world?????). So I put her on the potty chair, she grinned, peed, got up and toddled off to find her sippy cup. I’m cheering all over the place and she’s looking at me like I’m a nut. So after daycare today, I took her in the house and asked her if she wanted to pee in the potty, she walked right over to it, I stripped her, she sat down and peed!!!!!

Holy Cow! I’m not ready!!!!! Do they even make underwear in 12 months, cause that’s what size she is in (occasionally 18 months pants so we can accommodate the diaper). Oy!

I ordered Mari a doll (for Forever Day which isn't until Jan. 2) from Autumn who is another CHI mom awaiting her referral. Check out her blog for pix of the doll that is special made just for Mari...it is beautiful (as are ALL of Autumn's crafts).

On Tuesday, I'm taking Mari to our nearest IAC (International Adoption Clinic) where she will get a full evaluation including hearing tested and comprehensive developmental evaluation. I'm looking forward to it. Maybe we will solve a couple of lingering issues. I'll let you know next week.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

I have a new niece!!! She was born less than an hour ago (it is 1:15 pm). We weren't sure what Todd and Diana were having, so we've all been on pins and needles all morning. I'll edit this post after I get home tonight with pix and details.